Groton-Dunstable High School Chorus Preparing For Olympics Performance

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LONDON (CBS) – With less than two weeks to go to the 2012 London Olympics, the Groton-Dunstable Regional High School Chamber chorus has kicked their preparation for their first international performance into high gear.

They have been invited to perform at the 2012 London Summer Olympics Games after being hand picked by an organization called KIConcerts, which seeks out talent to perform at large events such as the Olympics.

The chamber chorus has won multiple singing awards and competitions, and their numerous musical accomplishments put them on the radar of the talent seeking organization.

When their chorus director Timothy Savoy initially got the email from KIConcerts in late September about this opportunity, he deleted it, questioning the validity of the email and whether they could afford to take all the students. The trip to London had a price tag for 30 chorus members and a few chaperones of about $130,000.

A second email, however, piqued his interest, and Savoy told the chorus members. The students immediately decided that this was an opportunity they could not pass up, and thought of fundraising ideas.

The students participated in several fundraising efforts, such as soliciting businesses in the Groton community through “canning,” walking around from door to door asking for money. They also performed at various venues in their community, as well as hosted events, such as their “Spring into the Arts” event to raise the funds. They reached their goal in late April after their final fundraiser, a Livingston Taylor benefit concert.

They are expected to perform at about seven venues in and around London, in festivals and churches like the Canterbury Cathedral.

They will also attend one large event before thousands being held in Victoria Park as a part of the BT London Live event in partnership with the Mayor of London. The BT London Live event is free of charge to the public.

Keesa McKoy is a student at Boston University, spending her summer internship reporting from the London Olympics for CBS Boston.